Book 2: Way of the Ysalamir
by Sirmac13
Summary: The story continues with Ren Shard, Padawan of Master Bashtar of the Jedi Order. On Manaan they investigate who is behind the assassinations of the High Court Justices.
1. Chapter 1

**Book 2:**

Makashi "Way of the Ysalamir"

by

Sir Mac

After a few years of training on Dagobah under the tutelage of Master Bashtar, residing within the _Rylothian_ star ship, and the intense work to become a strong user of the Force, young Ren grew both physically and spiritually. His blond hair grew to longer than shoulder length, straight as a bone and very thick. His green-gray eyes were much sharper and more observant now than at any point of his training under the Twi'lek master. His senses were more attuned, the constant usage of the Force became second-nature to Ren Shard, so much so, he learned Force Push and could move objects with little effort.

The Twi'lek, Bashtar was pleased with his apprentice's skills with the vibroblade, the closest weapon he would have to a lightsaber until he could build his own and make the weapon unique. The vibroblade, designed to vibrate at a high-speed, increasing the cutting power exponentially, was lightweight, slightly curved tip around thirty-inches long could be wielded in one or two hands. Ren, Bashtar took note, had been using it one-handed and this freed up his other hand to manipulate the Force freely. The blue-skinned Jedi Master constantly reported to the Council about their progress, and it was then Council issued an assignment.

"You are to go to Manaan in the Pyrshak system," Master Bram Pasha said via the holoprojector. The Nautolan was the Grand Master on the Jedi council. His tentacles hung down along the back of his broad shoulders in the blue-green floating image. "There is trouble brewing there, I can feel it in the Force."

"Yes Master," Bashtar responded, his arms folded across his chest. "We shall leave immediately for Manaan. What are our orders?"

"Stability, Bashtar. May the Force be with you."

**Chapter 1**

The Other Master and Padawan

Ula Von paced her Mistresses' quarters impatiently, occasionally glancing out the window as the heavy raindrops drummed against the thick glass on the outside. The young Mirialan did not like being indoors, and felt cabin fever settling in. It had rained steadily for the last four weeks, and she presumed there was no end in sight. Her yellow-green skin was marked by a pair of tattoos under her lower lip in a vertical stripe ending at the cleft of her chin. The markings were a sign of her age within Mirialan society, like humans used birthdays to try to understand maturity. Her eyes were as deep blue as the water that surrounded the surface station used to accommodate off-worlders who wished to engage in business with the native Selkath on Manaan. She wore her long brown robes a black belt, the hood to her robes pulled up over her head concealing her straight black hair which was cut short. She stopped at the window and gave a loud huff, the likes of which her Mistress responded to.

"Ula, settle yourself," she said. The elder Mirialan sat on a set of pillows against the wall. A long set of robes, black and brown in color, flared out around her seated form. Her hands rested in her lap as she knelt on her knees, perfect posture. Her back straight, her head down, eyes closed. The mistresses' light green skin was dotted and marked with regular geometric tattoos under her eyes, down her cheeks, and along her forehead. She opened her eyes slowly to look over her mobile Padawan with her dark green eyes. "Remember your training, Master Garok would scold you for your restlessness."

"Mistress," Ula came back softly, eyes lowering, "I am sorry. I have been cooped up in your room all this time, and I need some exercise, Mistress Naioma."

"Patience, Ula. You must have patience as a Jedi. Being hasty will cloud your judgment, remember that."

"Yes Mistress, I will try," Ula said and joined her Mistress on the cushions along the wall, kneeling upright, head low.

"I fear unrest is upon the normally peaceful Selkath people. We must be ready."

The _Rylothian_ lowered into the atmosphere of Manaan and was escorted by security toward the port in Ahto City, a surface center established by the Selkath sociocracy to engage the off-worlders in trade. The elongated and tapered cruiser gleamed in the bright sun that shined down on the watery planet until it broke through the thick gray clouds that hovered over the vast ocean. The ship easily drifted into the hanger, out of the rain that dripped to the floor as the ship came to rest upon a tripod stand. The side ramp opened and extended out. Bashtar and Ren exited the ship slowly, the two were met by a concierge to the port, a Selkath named Kona.

During the Jedi Civil War Manaan was the only exporter of kolto, a powerful healing solution found in the waters of Manaan, primarily mined near the Hrakert Rift to the galaxy. With the war in full swing, all sides needed kolto to heal their wounded. The Jedi combating the Sith. The Galactic Republic sided with the Jedi, combating the powerful Sith Jedi from the planet Korriban and taking considerable losses. This made Manaan a very important planet to the war effort, and each side courted the Selkath to sway them to support their cause over another. The Selkath, seeing their mineral's importance, used that as leverage and supplied each side with a wing on the Ahto City port and sold their kolto evenly across the board. With demand for their a substance native only to their world so high, the Selkath made a fortune, but all good things quickly came to an end.

Production began to suffer during both the Jedi Civil War and the Galactic Civil War four millenia later, and with the demand high as well as the price of kolto, all sides began to search for something cheaper and bacta replaced kolto, and the economy of Manaan collapsed. Then, Emperor Palpatine enslaved the Selkath, but with aid from Darth Vader, in disguise, the Selkath drove the Empire off Manaan. In short, the Selkath held little trust for the Galactic Republic, or any galactic entity for that matter, but the Jedi were different.

To many Selkath the Jedi were their inspiration there could be good in the galaxy. Jedi Master Qual, alive during the Jedi Civil War, maintained his presence on Ahto City and with his Selkath people looking out for them, and to those sensitive enough to notice his presence, permitted the Jedi order to send emissaries.

Bashtar spoke to Kona and was filled in on the situation. The Ahto High Court Justices were under intense guard as assassinations had become the norm in Ahto City and below the surface. Kona explained there were already a pair of Jedi present in the city, two female Mirialans, in the port. Bashtar knew the Mirialans, Naioma and Ula, her Padawan, were here. He reached out with the Force and announced his presence to her and his lips curled slightly in a smile. This did not go unnoticed by Ren as they walked the halls.

Master and student were led through vast arching blue-gray halls, large windows looked over the expansive ocean that covered all of the planet. Today's feature was the gloomy sky and the driving rain that fell over the station. Ren stopped and folded his hands into his sleeves and gazed out over the roiling ocean surface. The normally blue waters were deep dark gray, frothy and rough as the wind sloshed and blew against the side of the station. Ren's development in the Force had begun to extend to the nature around him, and he felt the turmoil in the planet, the storm was as if it were abnormal to any storm he'd experienced on the jungle planet of Dagobah. He turned and saw his master and the concierge slipping around a pillar into the center of the Ahto City ring.

"Down this way is the Ahto City Court room. The evidence has already been gathered by the female Jedi," Kona said in the Selkath language Selkatha. Ren listened carefully as Master Bashtar translated, then the Selkath pointed toward the corridor to the left. "There are the suites. A suite has been set aside for you and your Padawan, Jedi Master Bashtar. The two female Jedi will be interviewing the remaining justices this evening. If you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. Feel free to look around."

Kona left quietly for the corridor they came through when Ren and Bashtar arrived to meet with any other dignitaries that may arrive.

"Ren," Bashtar said to his apprentice without looking back, "experience the city, I am going to meet with Naioma. You'll have company, Ula will be down to join you. Find a way to exercise, but be mindful of the Force." His tone serious, always educational. He now looked down at Ren. "Ula is about the same level as you are, you two could learn from one another."

"Yes Master," Ren bowed to his Master and Bashtar bowed back, then the two parted ways. Ren went back to the large window, his green-gray eyes once more softened as he looked over the troubled oceans. He felt the pain of the planet, the city above the water shook as he leaned fully against the glass, his mind reaching out with the Force.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Padawan Face-Off

Ula Von stepped out of her Mistresses' chambers into the halls of Ahto City upon dismissal for a private meeting with the soon-to-arrive Master Bashtar. The young Mirialan saw the Twi'lek Jedi coming down the hallway in his blue and black leather and cloth clothing. He looked pensive, eyes down toward the floor as he walked toward her.

"Greetings Master," Ula said as she stopped and bowed to him respectfully as he passed her by. When she came up to standing again he was looking at her. His gaze studious as he looked her over. It came back to him, who the Padawan was.

"Greetings Padawan Ula. I am pleased to see you've progressed so well in your studies," Bashtar remarked as he bowed to her. He glanced at her hip and saw the lightsaber hilt about her left side, another on the right, this one had a length of Mandalorian steel coiled up along the side. "You're undertaking a very ambitious weapon in the lightwhip. Your Mistress has always thought highly of you."

The praise brought a smile to Ula's thin lips, she bowed. "Thank you, Master. She believes I can handle such a weapon."

"And you have a lightsaber as backup, or part of your weaponry?"

"It is defensive, Master," she said softly. Her eyes lowered.

Bashtar nodded and the two parted. She watched him knock on the door and Mistress Naioma opened the door and allowed him to enter. Ula turned and left the hallway to leave her Mistress and the Master to talk alone. She would meet with Master Bashtar's Padawan Ren to learn who her counterpart was and what he was about.

Ren sat by the fountain in the middle of the Ahto City center. He had his eyes closed, meditating under the calming sound of the water splashing in the pool behind him. Humans, Selkath, even Mandalorians wandered the halls going to their various points of interest, all ignoring the young Padawan with the silver training lightsaber in his lap.

Ren had yet completed his own lightsaber, needing only a couple more components. He had a coupler, the energy source, he only needed the crystal, and magnetic stabilizing ring. He earned each piece with his training, had most of the weapon constructed, just those two pieces remain. He did not feel ashamed to wield the training saber, however, he seriously could not wait until the lightsaber he held was one of his own make. And he would use the Force to finally put pieces together. It would be a joyous day for him, much anticipated like most children looked forward to their birthdays.

Ren opened his eyes as he felt the presence of another, a Force-user, and from the feel of it, rather young like himself. He saw the Mirialan female standing in long brown robes, the hood pulled up over her head. Ren could see the hint of a tattoo along her chin, a distinguishing mark of her people. Ren sat up straight, his eyes focused on her lightsaber and the lightwhip on her hips, and frowned.

"You must be Ren, Master Bashtar's Padawan," Ula said in a rather matter-of-fact tone, lifting her head. She regarded him and his overall appearance. Her gem-green eyes remained unwavering as she spoke. "You don't have your own lightsaber, still using your Master's training weapon?"

Ren found her line of questioning direct, and a bit odd. She had her own weapons, she obviously had advanced in her training, much, much faster than he, and he wasn't sure if she was bragging or about to offer advice. He waited to see if she would continue, but when she did not, he spoke up.

"My lightsaber is under construction," he said seriously. He slid on the seat and stood up, taking his weapon, borrowed and all, in hand. "Its a good saber, has taught me well about my own prowess, and where I need to improve."

"If you're using the training saber you have a long way to go," Ula did not hold back, spoke her mind, and she felt that she was indeed a more experienced, better Jedi than Ren was. "You wouldn't last long against my lightwhip."

Ren had gone to great lengths to avoid being taunted by his master, but to hear another Padawan question his skill was enough to get the usually level-headed Ren Shard upset. Ren rose from his seat next to the fountain and activated the lightsaber. The golden blade hummed to life extending to about three feet long. He held it in his right hand, twirled the weapon in his hand and took up his stance. Ula raised her hand to pause any action before it began, then jerked her thumb over her shoulder.

"In the hanger," she said. "We would get into trouble here in the main concourse. Fighting is against the law here, and I don't want to have to stand before the council to explain this. Jedi or Selkath."

She turned and headed off, Ren turned off his weapon and walked with Ula toward the hanger.

Ren drew the golden bladed training saber and hit the actuator. The weapon buzzed to life, barely three feet long at the blade, and he held it in two hands, a solid, wide stance, feet better than shoulder width apart, hands low, level with his waist. He watched Ula and her twin weapons, the lightwhip and the lightsaber.

She shed the bulky cloak she wore for a form-fitting leather sleeveless vest, tight leather pants and boots. Ren wasn't like most young men his age who took an interest in the female form, and the sight of her rounded breasts forced up under her chin, her rounded hips and smooth skin did not detract him from his focus. She turned on the whip in her right hand, her lightsaber in her left, both weapons hummed with a blue color. The whip coiled in behind her measured over eight feet long. Her stance was casual, loose, left foot forward slightly, both weapons held, as if her guard was down.

"Let's see what you can do, Initiate," she mocked. Her whip began to swing overhead, then crashed to the smooth steel floor of the hangar.

Ren began to circle, wary of the whip's reach, keeping slightly out of range as he went right. His feet stepping and sliding over the smooth, even flooring of the hangar. He would make her react first, he was patient, and something told him she was far from it. He gave a slight, yet annoying whistle and made it as high-pitched as he could muster. He tapped into the Force and pushed the whistle an octave higher. The glasses in windows began to crack, and the whistling made Ula's ears ache. She gave in to the ploy and charged forward.

Ula stepped in and brought her whip overhead and down swiftly, Ren dodged to his right and moved in quickly, avoiding the strike of her whip and he began moving in, trying to nullify her use of the reach weapon, swinging his lightsaber with murderous intention on her left side. Ula parried with one hand easily, surprising Ren with her strength. She pushed his weapon wide to her left with one hand and she kicked at him with her right foot, aiming for his stomach.

Ren wasn't ready for the speed, the wind was knocked out of his body with a quick square to the gut, her toes his him in the diaphragm. He crashed to the ground and dropped his weapon, gasping for breath. She was standing over him kicked his lightsaber away from his hands, her lightsaber raised for the kill.

"I wink Initiate," she said, then lowered her weapon, and switched it off. The lightwhip sparked off and lay on the floor behind her a lifeless band of flexible steel linked together by small hooks. She stepped back and allowed Ren to catch his breath. "Care to go again?"

"No, you two are done," Master Bashtar said, arms folded over his chest. He stood next to Mistress Naioma in her long black robes, the hood drawn over her head. She regarded her Padawan with keen interest, but said nothing as Bashtar continued. "It's clear that Ren is far below your level of skill Ula, and there is no further reason to beat him again. We have matters to attend to, let's go."

Ren picked himself up, dragged his weapon back to his hand with the Force, and held his stomach as he fought to draw a breath. He groaned and nodded to his master. Ula bowed, grabbed her robes and left with her Mistress, following the two elder Jedi from the hanger.


End file.
